Chief Joseph Slide repairs scheduled to begin next week northwest of Cody

A $5.54 million project to repair the Chief Joseph Slide is scheduled to begin next week on Wyoming 296 near Cody.

Oftedal Construction, Inc., of Casper is the prime contractor. The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the contract on July 19.

The Chief Joseph Slide is located about 20 miles east of Wyoming 120, northwest of Cody. The roadway began sliding on April 19, and single-lane traffic control over the slide area has been in place since the slide. The slide area is located in the same location as a similar slope failure last spring.

"Work consists of placement of approximately 18,650 cubic yards of slide stabilization rock and 273,500 cubic yards of dirt to stabilize the slide," according to Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody. "The material will be placed below the existing roadway to construct a toe berm to stabilize the slide area."

Frost said the contractor's preliminary schedule calls for mobilizing equipment to the project area next week, placing traffic control, and clearing and grubbing the construction work zone.

The contractor plans to be working 10 to 12 hours per day, six days a week. "A night shift will start approximately Aug. 27 and continue until October," Frost said.

Frost said motorists should expect short delays with continuation of single-lane traffic controlled by traffic signals at the slide area 24 hours a day. "During working hours, traffic control will also be in place for haul trucks crossing Wyoming 296 at the borrow area near Dead Indian Campground," he said. "This area will be controlled by flaggers."

All work is tentatively scheduled to be completed by Oct. 31 except for asphalt paving, chip sealing and final reclamation. Paving, chip sealing, reclamation and seeding will be completed next spring prior to the completion date of June 30, 2019.

The roadway driving surface will be two lanes of crushed gravel base for the winter.  
A 12-foot width restriction remains in effect through the Chief Joseph Slide.

Sunlight and Crandall residents, including other citizens, are reminded of the temporary slide web camera located at the Chief Joseph Slide. It is available at www.wyoroad.info.

For information about WYDOT's work, contact WYDOT public relations specialist Cody Beers at (307) 431-1803.